Uganda: Kadaga, Ssekandi On the Spot for Withdrawing Pension More Than Once

16 July 2023
Nile Post (Kampala)
By Shamim Nabakooza

The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament has directed the Ministry of public service to seek legal guidance from the Attorney General, Kiwanuka Kiryowa, on former public servants drawing more than one pension. The matter is said to have emanated from public servants holding two different offices during their services.

In response, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Public Service Catherine Bitarakwate revealed that it happens since the law provides for separate pensions and it's upon the beneficiary to choose to receive one pay.

Public servants on the spot include former Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi who is entitled to three pension packages for the three top positions where he served including, Vice President, Speaker of Parliament and Deputy Speaker of Parliament.

Another is the 1st Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga who also served as Speaker and Deputy making her entitled to two pension packages.

MPs questioned the rationale of giving these officials cars for each office with fuel, wondering when they get time to sit in these cars at the same time.

Bitarakwate told the committee that there is mischief in the law and that can only be cured by revision of the law to take care of exceptional cases.

In the financial year under review 2021/22, the Ministry of public service spent Shs 6.8b on Emoluments paid to former presidents / Vice Presidents and Prime Ministers.

The former Vice President is entitled to a housing allowance of Shs300m annually, Shs370m car, Shs10m every five years for the purchase of furniture, a monthly pension of Shs6.7m translating to Shs80.4m annually, two police guards all paid Shs1.1m per month, Shs8.4m annually for utilities, two domestic servants paid a monthly salary of sh696,666 amounting to Shs8.35m annually and a senior personnel Secretary allocated Shs10.8m annually.

This prompted Nandala Mafabi who chaired the meeting to direct the ministry to seek legal guidance from the Attorney General.

To date, the government pension scheme is reported to be filled with ghost pensioners, and double pay among other wasteful expenditures turning to be costly to a bulky Government whose highest percentage of the budget is spent in recurrent expenditures.

Read the original article on Nile Post.

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